The recording is of Carroll's chief of staff, John Konkus, whispering to another staffer that Gov. Rick Scott is "not leading" on an internal issue.

Konkus is heard talking to Carletha Cole, another Carroll staffer who recently was fired after she complained to the Florida Times-Union about rampant infighting inside Carroll's office.

It's the second FDLE investigation in a month involving the Governor's Office, which declined to comment.

Three weeks ago the FDLE opened an inquiry into missing e-mails from Scott's transition into office. After the Times/Herald reported the e-mails were deleted from the private computer server, Scott cited state public record law and asked the FDLE to find out why the documents were destroyed whether any could be recovered.

Florida law requires consent before recording private conversations. Violation of that law can be a felony. A first offense is a first-degree misdemeanor, which carries a maximum $1,000 fine.

On the muffled recording, Konkus tells Cole that he met with Scott's chief of staff, Steve MacNamara, about a website design. Konkus said MacNamara agreed to "do whatever" Carroll wanted. Konkus says he knew information for the Web page was going to "be trouble."

"You know why?" Cole asks.

"Because we're not, the governor is not leading," Konkus replies.

On Sept. 9, Cole told the Times-Union: "I can tell you if the Lieutenant Governor's Office does not get in shape — we are like a juvenile school now — we are not going to get anywhere. We will be a detriment to what Gov. Scott wants to do."

Cole, 48, also said Konkus. 37, unfairly attacks her.

"He always tells me that I'm a problem, but he can never tell me what that problem is," she said.

Cole could not be reached for comment Friday.

Three days after she left Carroll's office, the Times-Union published a copy of the recorded conversation between Cole and Konkus.

Michael C. Bender can be reached at [email protected] or (850) 224-7263. Follow him on Twitter @MichaelCBender.

In an expected move, the University of Louisville Athletic Association's Board of Directors on Monday voted unanimously to fire men's basketball coach Rick Pitino. The decision came 19 days after Louisville acknowledged that its men's basketball program was being investigated as part of a federal corruption probe and …

Unable to persuade Congress to kill the Affordable Care Act, President Donald Trump appears determined to do the dirty work himself. The president's unilateral actions are aimed at driving up premiums, steering healthy people away from the federal marketplace and ensuring his inaccurate description of the law as a …

PORT RICHEY — The Port Richey fire chief crashed a motorcycle, showed signs of impairment and hit a New Port Richey police officer in the face after being taken to the hospital Sunday night, according to a police report.